Runaway Mine Train

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In 1974 Great Adventure opened its doors for the first time and took their first steps to becoming one of the largest amusement parks in the world. Their signature attraction for the first season was the Runaway Mine Train. Now their oldest coaster in the park it seems like a cute family ride, but at the time it was a cutting edge thrill ride. Great Adventure hired Arrow to custom design the ride to take advantage of its wooded surroundings and nearby lake. Much of the ride is built on steel tube supports, but all of these supports were only visible on the ride and the supports around the midway are all made of wooden timber frames to help fit in with the frontier themed section of the park.​The ride experience begins as guest climb into the fort that is used for the queue and loading station for Runaway Mine Train. Guests board one of the brightly colored mine trains, each car looks like a mining cart, and the lead car looks like a locomotive complete with smokestack. The train departs with a tiny drop out of the station, there is a small straight away, then turn to the right. Riders are faced with the 60 foot lift hill that brings the train up into the treetops. The train is released from the train and swoops into a double helix. Next there are two small airtime hills which lead into the mid course brake run. You then travel through a wide, underbanked 360 degree helix which provides plenty of lateral "G" forces. Another airtime hill sends riders out of their seats before diving down in a really wide turn across the lake. The train roars around the Fort, and into the final brake run to complete the circuit. Next time you are at Six Flags Great Adventure don’t forget to take a lap on their oldest coaster Runaway Mine Train.